The Dark Ingredients in Dr. Oetker’s Recipe for Success

Summary

Dr. Erker, a company founded in 1862 by August Erker, became a global success in the food industry, initially known for its pioneering baking agent. However, its history takes a dark turn during World War II when its CEO, Rishard Kazalowski, aligned the company with the Nazis, engaging in forced labor and supporting the regime. Despite its post-war success under Rudolph August, the company's Nazi connections remained hidden. In 2013, a review revealed its deep involvement in the Third Reich, leading to a reckoning that continues to haunt the family business and its legacy.

Takeaways

• 😀 Dr. Erker has been a global brand for over 100 years, bringing families together through its products.
• 😀 The company was founded by August Erker in 1862, who invented a baking agent similar to baking powder.
• 😀 Dr. Erker became the largest supplier of baking powder in Europe and expanded globally, producing various food products.
• 😀 World War I had a tragic impact on the Erker family, as August's son died during battle, and his widow remarried to a close friend of August, Richard Kazalowski.
• 😀 Under Kazalowski's leadership, the company became involved with Nazi ideology and the Nazi regime, with Kazalowski being a strong supporter of Hitler.
• 😀 Dr. Erker provided support to the Nazis, including funding Himmler's efforts and using slave labor and concentration camp captives for labor.
• 😀 In 1937, Dr. Erker was designated as a 'national socialist model company' by the Nazis.
• 😀 After the war, Kazalowski was killed in an Allied bombing raid, and August's son, Rudolph, took over the company despite his own Nazi affiliations.
• 😀 Rudolph was later cleared during denazification proceedings by his own company and went on to lead Dr. Erker to even greater success globally.
• 😀 Dr. Erker's Nazi past was concealed for decades, but in 2013, an independent review revealed the company's deep involvement with the Nazi regime, leading to a public reckoning.

Q & A

How long has Dr. Erker been bringing families together?

Dr. Erker has been bringing families together for over 100 years.

What was Dr. Erker's most important invention?

Dr. Erker's most important invention was a pioneering baking agent similar to baking powder.

How did Dr. Erker grow from a small factory in Germany?

Dr. Erker grew into a global juggernaut, expanding its range of products from baked ingredients to oven pizzas, and establishing itself as a major supplier across the world.

Who was August Erker and what role did he play in the company?

August Erker was the founder of the company, starting it in 1862 after acquiring a pharmacy in Belafel, Germany. He invented a key baking agent, marking the beginning of Dr. Erker's success.

What happened to Dr. Erker during World War I?

During World War I, August Erker's son died in battle, and his wife remarried Rishard Kazalowski, who became the CEO of Dr. Erker and led the company through darker times during the Nazi regime.

How did Dr. Erker and its leaders align with the Nazi regime?

Rishard Kazalowski, Dr. Erker's CEO, was a committed Nazi and supported the regime, even merging the family's profitable newspaper with a Nazi publication and diverting company funds to Himmler’s SS efforts.

What controversial practices did Dr. Erker engage in during World War II?

During World War II, Dr. Erker employed both slave labor and forced laborers from concentration camps, contributing to its association with Nazi atrocities.

What happened to Dr. Erker's leadership after World War II?

After the war, Rudolph August, the son of August Erker, was reinstated as the CEO, despite his ties to the Nazi regime. He was cleared of any wrongdoing during the denazification proceedings overseen by his own employees.

What did Rudolph August try to do regarding the company's history?

Rudolph August spent much of his life trying to conceal the company's dark past, refusing to confront it even when asked by his children, saying 'Not during my lifetime.'

What was revealed in the 2013 independent review of Dr. Erker?

The 2013 independent review confirmed Dr. Erker's deep involvement, both ideologically and financially, in the crimes of the Third Reich.